Can I keep my shoes on at airports? Here's what to know about TSA rule change.
Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday at Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that, starting Tuesday, all passengers traveling through domestic airports can keep their shoes on while moving through TSA checkpoints.
"TSA will no longer require travelers to remove their shoes when they go through our security checkpoints," Noem said, adding that she expects travelers to be "very excited" at the policy change.
Previously, only travelers enrolled in TSA PreCheck could keep their shoes on. The TSA on Monday did not issue a statement confirming the end of the policy, but sources familiar with the matter on Monday confirmed the change to CBS News.
Here's what to know about the status of the TSA's updated shoe policy.
What is the "shoes-off" rule?
The TSA screening policy, known informally as the "shoes-off rule," was instituted in 2006 after British terrorist Richard Reid unsuccessfully tried to detonate homemade bombs hidden in his shoes during a December 2001 flight from Paris to Miami. The shoes he wore on the flight contained 10 ounces of explosive material, according to an FBI account of the incident.
The shoe-removal policy went into effect in August 2006. "Based on intelligence pointing to a continuing threat, TSA requires passengers to remove shoes to screen for explosives," the TSA states on a policy timeline on its website.
Under the policy, the TSA required passengers in standard screening lines to remove and place their shoes on X-ray belts, along with laptops, liquids, belts and outerwear.
Passengers with TSA PreCheck benefits were exempt from the shoe removal requirement.
Do I still have to take my shoes off?
Not as long as TSA screeners are following the revised policy. As of Tuesday, the agency will no longer require passengers who move through TSA checkpoints to remove their shoes.
That said, TSA officers may still flag some travelers for additional screening measures. "Once in a while, someone will have to remove their shoes if they need additional layers of screening," Noem said Tuesday.
On Monday, before the rule change was announced, some airports across the U.S. had already started phasing out the security measure and begun allowing fliers to move through security with their shoes on, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.
Caleb Harmon-Marshall, a former TSA worker who now runs Gate Access, a site about passenger rights, was the first to report on the policy shift, calling it "one of the biggest changes to TSA screening in over a decade."
"It marks a huge shift in what the average traveler is used to going through TSA," he said.
The revised shoes-on policy was already in effect at seven U.S. airports on Monday, according to CBS News sources. The first airports to ditch the security measure include Baltimore/Washington International Airport; Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport; Fort Lauderdale International Airport; Philadelphia International Airport; Piedmont Triad International Airport in North Carolina; and Portland International Airport.
Some passengers at New York's LaGuardia Airport also reported being allowed to keep their shoes on Monday.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday re-posted a CBS News report on the rule change on social media, describing it as "Big news from @DHSgov!" .
Will this mean shorter security lines?
Harmon-Marshall of Gate Access told CBS MoneyWatch that he expects the policy change to result in shorter airport screening lines and an expedited security process for all passengers. In come cases, TSA officers could still ask passengers to remove their footwear.
"They still have that discretion," he said.
For passengers, Harmon-Marshall expects screening time to "drop significantly."
"Allowing passengers to keep their shoes on in the standard line will make going through TSA a breeze," he predicted.
The revamped shoe policy could also have implications for TSA PreCheck, which costs around $80 for five years, Harmon added.
"TSA has to figure out what the value proposition of PreCheck is," he said. "Allowing passengers to access screening with their shoes on diminishes its value, which leads me to believe there is another shakeup coming with TSA PreCheck."
Noem on Tuesday said PreCheck status still offers advantages to pass holders because they're not required to take off their belts or remove liquids and electronics from their bags, unlike other passengers.
"I believe PreCheck will still be something many travelers will want to utilize," she said.
She added that DHS will continue to evaluate all TSA screening procedures for efficiency. Homeland Security also plans to test new security lanes at TSA checkpoints over the next six to nine months that allow travelers to move through security even more quickly.
and contributed to this report.
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